4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.
Today, we wish a happy birthday to director Taylor Hackford. It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Taylor Hackford Films
Against All Odds (1984, dir by Taylor Hackford)
Dolores Claiborne (1995, dir by Taylor Hackford)
The Devil’s Advocate (1997, dir by Taylor Hackford)
As I mentioned earlier, today is Phil Collins’s birthday so today’s song of the day is one of my favorites. From the film of the same name, here is Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now).
How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh You’re the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me, when all I can do is watch you leave Cos we’ve shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears You’re the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now, oh there’s just an empty space And there’s nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face Ooh take a look at me now, well there’s just an empty space And you coming back to me is against all odds and that’s what I’ve got to face
I wish I could just make you turn around, turn around and see me cry There’s so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why You’re the only one who really knew me at all
So take a look at me now, well there’s just an empty space And there’s nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face Now take a look at me now, cos there’s just an empty space
But to wait for you, is all I can do and that’s what I’ve got to face Take a good look at me now, cos I’ll still be standing here And you coming back to me is against all odds It’s the chance I’ve gotta take
On the one hand, I know that the critics have never exactly embraced the songs of Phil Collins. I mean, there’s a reason why it’s such a brilliant joke that, in American Psycho, the vacuous wannabe serial killer Patrick Bateman is a rabid Phil Collins fan. On the one hand, Collins’s music is representative of an era. On the other hand, it’s often used to illustrate everything that was supposedly wrong with that era.
But you know what?
Screw it. I like this song. It’s effective. It works. It’s fun to listen to and I’ll probably find myself singing it sometime tonight. Earlier, I watched a 1984 film called Against All Odds and, when this song played over the final freeze frame, it was a perfect moment.
The video for Take A Look At Me Now was directed by the same guy who directed Against All Odds, Taylor Hackford. Of course, the video itself is mostly made up of clips from the film. In between Phil doing his thing, we get scenes of Jeff Bridges looking young and sexy, Rachel Ward looking sultry, and James Woods looking dangerous.
The song itself was nominated for an Oscar, though it lost to I Just Called To Say I Love You from The Woman In Red.
Through the Shattered Lens 